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So what happens to our finances after we get married?!
Here are some helpful tips:

From the beginning, save 15 - 20% of your income. By combining households, you should reduce your expenses a lot which should allow you to save. You should save to build your cash reserves, in your 401k plans and in a mutual fund.

Rather than simply keeping two checkbooks like before you were married, pool your money into one checkbook and one savings account or money market.

Work together on budgeting and tracking expenditures.
Discuss your approaches to handling money -- is one person a spender and one a saver? Create some ground rules on handling any differences.

Make a list of upcoming purchases together and prioritize them. You should decide jointly how to spend your money now.

Change all of the beneficiaries on life insurance plans, retirement and other plans at work, and IRAs to your new spouse.

Decide how debts accumulated by each individual prior to the marriage (i.e. student loans) will be handled.

If both incomes are needed to pay expenses, be sure to have adequate life insurance.

Be sure to let each other know where important documents are kept.

Consolidate your credit cards to avoid having double the number of credit cards needed. Keep only one credit card from prior to your marriage. the card that you have the longest. it is the one that tells credit card company your track record.

Bridal Shows

Get a list of upcoming bridal shows in cities near you. Shopping at a bridal expo beats driving all over town so take advantage of this opportunity.

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A wedding magazine is the perfect start to planning your wedding; browse for ideas, pick styles and colors, and get in touch with the reality of planning.

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